Moving abroad from France: which documents need translating and legalising?

By Keran Chaussard, administrator of the Directory of Sworn Translators of France — updated on 16 October 2026

For a visa, work permit, studies or family settlement abroad, the documents most often requested are the birth certificate, the marriage certificate or divorce judgment, the criminal record extract, diplomas and transcripts, and proof of income. The official list of the destination country (consulate, embassy or immigration service) always prevails.

The order of formalities is decisive: obtain recent documents, have them apostilled or legalised if the country requires it, then have them translated. If the translation itself must be apostilled, the translator's signature must first be certified. Within the European Union, civil status records and criminal record extracts are exempt from the apostille.

Start with the destination country's official list

Each country sets its own requirements, which vary according to the type of visa, your nationality and your family situation. Before ordering any certificate or translation, obtain the exact list of documents from the consulate, embassy or immigration service of the country concerned, and check three points:

the language into which documents must be translated
who may produce the translation: some countries accept a translation by a French court-appointed expert, others require a locally approved translator or a translation accompanied by a statement from the translator
the authentication formalities: apostille, legalisation, or none

Translating before you know these rules means risking paying for a translation that is unnecessary or in a language that is not accepted.

The documents most often requested

Identity: a valid passport, often for several months beyond the arrival date, and passport photos.
Civil status: birth certificate (full copy or extract showing parentage), marriage certificate, divorce judgment, children's birth certificates, and a spouse's death certificate where applicable.
Criminal record: an extract (bulletin no. 3), requested online and free of charge from the French National Criminal Records Office.
Education and qualifications: diplomas, transcripts, training certificates, professional qualifications.
Employment: employment contract or job offer, employer references, payslips.
Financial resources: bank statements for the required period, tax notices, a sponsorship statement.
Depending on the country: medical certificate, health insurance, driving licence.

For civil status, consider the multilingual extract of a birth, marriage or death certificate, issued free of charge by the town hall: its headings are already translated into several languages, which is enough in many countries and avoids a translation.

In what order should the formalities be completed?

For a French document intended for use abroad, the usual order is:

Obtain a recent document. Many countries require certificates issued less than three or six months earlier: request them once the submission date is known, not too early.
Have it apostilled or legalised if the country requires it. In France, apostilles and legalisation have been issued by notaries since 1 May 2025, through the apostille and legalisation centres. For a country that is not party to the Hague Convention, legalisation by its consulate may also be needed.
Have the document and its apostille translated by a sworn translator, if the country accepts a translation made in France.
If the translation itself must be apostilled: first have the translator's signature certified at a town hall or by a notary, then have the translation apostilled. An apostille can only cover an authenticated signature.

If the country requires a translation made locally, the order changes: you have the original apostilled in France, and the translation is produced on arrival by a local translator.

Within the European Union: a simpler procedure

Between EU countries, Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 exempts from the apostille public documents relating in particular to birth, marriage, divorce, parenthood, nationality, residence and the absence of a criminal record. For several of these, a European multilingual standard form can be attached to avoid translation.

However, this exemption does not cover diplomas, company documents, notarial deeds or passports: for these, an apostille or certification of the translator's signature may still be required.

Identical names on every document

The official handling your application cross-checks the documents. Any spelling difference (accent, hyphen, married name, given names in a different order) can trigger a request for explanation. Use your passport as the reference and tell the translator.

A change of name following marriage, divorce, adoption or dual nationality must be supported by the corresponding certificate. An application that clearly sets out your administrative history is processed faster than one where the official has to piece together the links between documents.

If an original certificate contains an error, the translation will reproduce it faithfully: have the certificate corrected by the issuing authority before having it translated.

The mistakes that most often delay an application

Translating before knowing the exact list of documents and the language required.
Ordering certificates too early: they have expired by the submission date.
Translating before the apostille: the apostille will then need translating separately.
Forgetting to certify the translator's signature when the translation must be apostilled.
Using a machine or personal translation where an official translation is required.
Sending your only originals without explicit instructions: always keep a complete digital copy, front and back.

Finding a sworn translator for a move abroad

The Directory of Sworn Translators of France lets you search for a court-appointed expert translator by language, département, region and court of appeal. For a file with several documents, a rare language or a close deadline, the express file submission service lets you entrust everything to a suitable expert, stating the destination country and the formalities required.

Frequently asked questions

Which documents need translating to move abroad from France?: Most often the birth certificate, marriage certificate or divorce judgment, criminal record extract, diplomas and transcripts, and sometimes proof of income or employment. The exact list depends on the country and type of visa: only the consulate's or immigration service's list is authoritative.
Should the apostille come before or after the translation?: Usually before: the original document is apostilled, then the document and its apostille are translated. If the translation itself must be apostilled, the translator's signature must first be certified.
Is a French sworn translation accepted abroad?: It depends on the country. Some accept it, sometimes with an apostille; others require a locally approved translator. Check with the consulate before ordering.
Do I need an apostille to move to another EU country?: Not for civil status records or criminal record extracts, which are exempt under Regulation (EU) 2016/1191. It may, however, be required for diplomas, company documents or notarial deeds.
When should I request my civil status certificates?: Once the submission date is known. Many countries require certificates issued less than three or six months earlier, and time for the apostille and translation must be allowed for.

Sources

Service-Public, "Legalisation or apostille of a public document issued by a French authority"
Service-Public, "Legalisation of signature on a private document"
Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 of 6 July 2016 on the circulation of certain public documents
Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents
Decree No. 2021-1205 of 17 September 2021, amended by Decree No. 2024-1200 of 23 December 2024, on legalisation and the apostille

Directory of Sworn Translators of France